


Important Discoveries

by Yesthatsmynaturalcolour



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Allergies, Discovery, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:09:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29968929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yesthatsmynaturalcolour/pseuds/Yesthatsmynaturalcolour
Summary: There are some pretty major discoveries of some changes to the boys after Julie frees them from Calebs spell. Julie started to agree with Alex, this all should of come with some kind of handbook.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 61





	Important Discoveries

The changes were both apparent and subtle. Julie could touch them now, the sensation of her skin on theirs was welcomed, but very strange. They weren’t alive - No one could see them, only Julie could touch them still. But they were certainly stronger, they could move things around and touch things with a little more force besides their instruments. They cuddle a lot more with Julie the three of them thoroughly just enjoying even the simplest of touch from someone alive. Her touch doesn’t feel like theirs, it’s warm- it’s more solid and the sensation is wildly different. She actually finds herself loving it a lot. The gentle touch and way they all seemed to relax in different ways as she caught them up on media and shows at night just sprawled in her bed. 

That was the most obvious change from whatever it was that happened in the studio that night; that was the only change they thought had happened from Julie freeing them from Caleb. What else could have changed other than being able to touch her and the incredible fact they were free and playing again? Turns out. A lot. 

“I think they're asleep…” Julie whispered into the phone slowly walking into the studio. She’d gotten home from a lacrosse game with Flynn a little late; heading straight to the studio to check on the guys before she went to bed. She hadn’t expected the sight she’d caught through the window calling the other girl right away. 

“Can...can ghosts sleep?” Flynn replied back as Julie took in the sight of the three boys. They were asleep. Fast asleep. They’d made some kind of makeshift bed on the floor with various old blankets and pillows from around the studio the three of them cuddled together in this little space, Alex is curled up against Luke’s side his head slightly on his chest on one side and Reggie is taking the other side laying out on him. 

“These ones are…” She smiled fondly at them for a long moment, they hadn’t slept before. She knows because they’d talked about it-a lot. They couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. So she’d managed to set something up for them at night to catch up on movies, and shows and anything else in the studio every night before she went to bed so they’d have something to do. She knew it helped keep the silence of the night from getting to them-so why suddenly did they need to sleep?

“That’s so weird you think it has to do with the other stuff?” Julie headed inside, a frown on her face as she headed upstairs to her room. 

“It’s got to-I mean-suddenly needing sleep? Also I feel so bad I get their ghosts but they're just sleeping on that cement floor...but it’s not like I can ask my Dad to buy some beds for some ghosts.” She huffed already working through some ideas on what to do about that. It wasn’t like she could just put a bed in there either her Dad would find that weird…. But she couldn’t just keep having them sleep on the floor. 

“I mean, maybe they like it? You said two of them used to live there right? I’m sure it’s no different.” Flynn tried to reassure her but Julie didn’t feel too reassured at the idea of them having to sleep on the floor, or them pretending they couldn’t sleep at all so she didn’t worry about them sleeping on the floor.

“Maybe…” She said softly, in a tone that spoke that maybe wasn’t at all what she wanted to say. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I've got to finish up these papers before it gets too late.” By paper-she means she’s got to figure out this solution to this issue in her head. She goes through a hundred ideas, a futon, but it’s Luke’s couch and she can’t replace that and two couches would crowd the room. Bunk beds cross her mind but that’s weird, a bunch of cots-but again. Weird and cost money she doesn’t really have and can’t ask for.

It hits her like a sack of bricks and she climbs up-the house is silent and she finds what she’s looking for in their downstairs closet with a huge smile. 

An air mattress. 

Is it comfortable? Not completely but it’s better than the hard floor and can easily be tucked away and put out every night. It’s got it’s own fan attached with a little switch so they wouldn’t need help getting it together, and she’s got enough sheets and comforters around that it would be a perfect bed. Sure they’d have to share it but after what she saw tonight? She’s not sure they’d really mind.

The guys are surprised, and a little embarrassed when she shows it to them the next day. “How long until you told me you had to sleep now?” She demanded her hands on her hips. “I mean really-the floor? If I knew I would have told you to sleep on the couches in the living room until we figured something out.” She gestured.

“Uh-“ Reggie says softly but the guys shush him and Julie gives them a look. “We tried but your Dad sat on Luke in the morning and it scared all of us to the point we’re too worried to do it again.” He explained and she huffed.

“Then come talk to me! This is all so new you could have told me. I would have helped you-I am helping you.” She gestured to the rolled up air mattress. “You didn’t have to sleep on the floor….is that where you slept when you guys lived out of the studio?” She wondered softly, looking mostly towards Alex and Luke.

“We had this-paper thin mattress up in the loft.” Luke said fondly, smilingly wide like he always did when talking about some of the stuff they used to do. “It was horrible and felt like it might as well be the floor but at the same time it was really awesome to have. We couldn’t find it so we assumed it was one of those things that didn’t make it through the years.”

“In all fairness it smelled horrible.” Alex said softly, smiling at her. She teaches them how to set up the new air mattress and inflate it all. How to take it down while she’s at school and they seem so excited it’s...kind of really cute. She can’t resist checking on them in the late night when she notices it goes dark and still in the studio from her window. She only peeks in case they are still awake but they aren’t. There cuddled together the same way they were the other night. Only there’s more blankets and more limbs tangled and she wishes she could take a photo of them.

She leaves, heading back to her room with the widest smile on her face. 

The next change they discover catches them all for a loop. There practicing writing songs, playing a couple chords and just overall having an incredible time making music and laughing together. She loves when Alex plays a little too hard to mess Luke up-Or Reggie goes a little country. “Here I had this idea” Luke goes to flip through with a grin when it drops and he hisses. The band pretty much stops right along Julie as he pulls his hand away. His brow furrows looking at the small red line through his finger and the blood welling up.

“You can bleed?!” She worries grabbing it to look at it.

“We-We haven’t before.” Luke fumbles out with a sharp noise as he looks at it, twisting and turning it to really look at it almost horrified. It’s not like it’s a serious injury, but it’s a sign of what could potentially be one if they aren’t careful.

“It’s got to be related right?” Reggie asks softly as he looks at Luke’s hand and back up at the duo. “I mean, suddenly Julie can touch us, we have to sleep, and now we can bleed?” 

“We’re going to have to be more careful.” Alex said nervously. “If we get seriously hurt-there’s no telling what could happen. It’s not like we can go to a hospital or doctor and who knows what happens when a ghost bleeds to death. I’m pretty sure it’s that permanent death thing all over again.” Alex said softly, and Julie patted his back again at the anxiety in his tone. He had a point though, If one of them got seriously hurt there would be nothing they could do. 

Julie signs up for the First AID/CPR course her school offers the moment she’s able-usually a lot of the sports kids take it and a few others. But she needed to know some kind of basic first aid. She expands on that by watching way to many videos in her free time on how to treat various wounds. She manages to get a first aid kit well stocked and stored in the garage for them as well. It eases some of the worry in her chest, at least now if something happens she won’t be completely lost.

It at least makes her feel better to know she’ll be able to take care of and help the boys, that they are figuring this out slowly, and together. 

None of them had any way of predicting what was going to happen next, if it was over and what little changes they managed to have or massive changes were all that was going to happen or if more were coming. It all felt like They should have expected this though, should have predicted based on everything else going on. 

“I...I think I’m hungry?” Reggie said slowly, they’d been in a bit of a funk the last two days, lazing around unsure of why they were all collectively in a strange mood. “I think that’s the feeling.” He touches his stomach with a frown and Luke’s brows furrow looking at him. 

“We can’t eat food-You know that.” Luke grumbled tilting his head back. 

“We can’t bleed apparently either, or sleep.” Alex countered, looking over at them from where he was laying on the floor. Silence falls on the group. 

“You don’t think?” It only takes one shared look for them to appear together in the Molinas kitchen. “The last time we were able to eat was Caleb's club.” Luke mumbled softly looking at the fridge.

“Do you think it’s okay? I mean...should we ask Julie?” Reggie worries as they collectively stare at the fridge. 

“I’m sure they're not going to notice if something is missing, plus-We don’t even know if we can eat yet!” Alex protested watching warily as Luke opened up the fridge. He pulled out some containers of old pasta and leftovers and set them on the counter. The trio gathered around it for a long pause before Reggie finally caved. 

He took a forkful, and slowly took a bite, his eyes going wide. “We can eat!” The chorus of cheers from the trio was loud as they gladly took the invitation the same way they had at the club only a few months back. 

“Wait-” Alex gestured pointing at them with the fork. “We should...tell Julie. Because her Dad is going to notice if a lot of food is missing….” 

“What is she going to do? Tell him to buy enough food for his kids and three ghosts?” Luke countered pouting massively when Alex shoved the food back in the fridge. “Weve got to eat! We’re getting hunger pains.” He protested.

“Then we tell her.” Alex said firmly, after the last incident and the bed-Julie wanted to know what was going on, she didn't deserve surprises like this. She wanted to know, she wanted to help. They go back to the studio, anxiously awaiting Julie to get home from school. Now that the hunger has been fed slightly, it feels impossible to ignore and by the time Julie comes home there a little on edge.

“Whats wrong with you guys? Still in that funk?” She pouts slightly putting her hands on her hips as she looks at them. “You gotta snap out of it eventually-we’ve got a lot of work to do before next week.” She waved her hand around at them and Luke shot up slightly still sitting on the couch but giving her a little more of their full attention.

“We….apparently need to eat now too.” He said slowly, processing the emotions across her face. “That’s what’s been going on. We’re...hungry.” He says it slowly, realizing they’ve been hungry for days and just had kept ignoring it. Julie stares at them for a long time.

“Oh my-Wait here.” She says firmly tossing her bag down, luckily her Dad and Carlos still aren’t home yet and she fills a bag with snacks, and various food from the fridge. Anything she can think of that might not go noticed as missing and brings it to the guys passing it out to them. “Thank you for telling me…” She says softly, it's a huge sign of trust on their end. Usually they hide things from her until it becomes a problem. 

“W-What do we do now?” Reggie asked, slowly shoving a handful of chips into his mouth. “I mean your Dad’s going to notice if a bunch of food is gone.” He countered and she made a face in disgust before realizing he was right. Three teenage boys would be a noticeable amount of food. Like inexcusable amounts. 

“I mean-We could just. Get our own food-We’re ghosts still people can’t see us. If we go at night to stores we can stock up.” Luke shrugged. “Not like anyone’s going to notice.” 

“That’s stealing Luke.” Julie said rolling her eyes a bit at him. “You can’t just. Steal food from a store.” 

“A major corporation! They waste food anyway!” Luke countered, and Julie frowned slightly crossing her arms with a sigh. 

“Listen….how you all….acquire your food then is on you. I’m going to pretend I don’t see any of it deal?” It wasn’t as if they had money to buy food, and until the band was big enough for them to have money to buy food. It wasn’t going to happen. It didn’t feel right, but Luke was kind of right the stores were full of wasted food, stuff they just tossed aside. They wouldn’t notice if just a few things went missing.

So she ignored, as promised, the stacks and various food that appeared in the garage tucked away nicely. They didn’t mention it or ask again, and as long as they cleaned up after themselves she wasn’t going to push it. Though it was certainly weird. She didn’t think it could get any weirder short of them being visible to everyone around them. 

They ate, they slept, they could get injured, and she could touch them. What more could possibly happen in response to just a simple hug and a wish? 

She never should have even had the thought, because the world sure let her know what else could happen just a few weeks later. It was one of the lazier days they had together, the band had just played another show at a bar and they were riding that incredible energy it gave them. Reggie was jamming with Luke while he worked on the tune to another song, and Julie was finishing up some of her homework for the weekend so she could focus on music with them.

Alex had left hours ago to meet up with Willie, the other had been slowly teaching Alex how to skate, and Julie honestly loved when the two of them hung out. Alex always seemed a little more calmed and centered after their outings. 

Which is why she wasn’t expecting the duo to just appear so suddenly and violently, Willie looked scared, almost frantic. His eyes were wide and he was holding Alex, the blonde was curled up laying against his chest, his hands clutching Willie's shirt so hard his fingers were white. 

“Alex-” Luke was the first to shoot up, launching over the duo. “Willie what happened?” He demanded shifting the other but the moment he saw Alex’s face his whole face dropped. “No...No no Alex-” He was moving, Reggie coming over to help lay him out better still propping him up against Willie and Julie realized Alex was struggling to breath. His body arching, though every breath was a wheeze, one that only got worse and it seemed like his lips were slowly turning a darker blue. Willie was crying, and Julie realized the other two were as well but the motions they moved through seemed so practiced.

“What’s happening?! Help him.” She said frantically it seemed like they knew what was happening. Her shout seemed to jolt the duo back into action and Luke was moving first.

“Do you still have it?” He said firmly, his hands coming up to cup Alex’s face gently. “Alex, look at me. Please tell me you have it?” He begged almost and Alex’s hand moved slowly and very uncoordinated slapping almost against his chest. Against that black strap and Luke was moving unbuckling the pack and yanking it free from him. He’d dumped the contents and yanked something up before it even had a real chance to clatter against the floor. It was almost a blur of movements. “Hold him.” Was the only warning he gave Willie before he was slamming something down against the others thigh. Alex jerked and the others arms wrapped around him tightly holding him close as he arched and gave a strangled cry. 

There was a beat as he slowly sank down, and Luke pulled away breathing hard himself as he stared at Alex for a long moment. The blonde drew one, rough breath before another, and another. The crackle and strain slowly leaving as he sank limply against Willie and only then did the tension slowly leave Luke and the others.

“What was that?” Julie couldn’t wait any more to ask, and watched as Luke’s hand slowly relaxed. The container looked different and it took her a moment before she realized. “An allergic reaction?” She asked and Luke nodded slowly turning to check on Alex.

“Guess we can add that to the list of changes.” Reggie said softly, but his voice was shaky. “It’s...nuts by the way. Tree nuts.” He offered helpfully as Willie rubbed up and down the others arms in a gentle soothing motion.

“I mean it makes sense-you can bleed, you can eat, sleep-nothing to say you don’t have the same conditions alongside it.” Julie said softly. “But now-“

“Another thing to be careful about.” Luke said firmly, packing up the rest of the stuff into Alex’s bag. “He’s going to need more of those-and an inhaler.” He shook up the one from Alex’s bag and shifted closer moving Alex in a familiar movement to give him a few pumps.

“Your….familiar with all this.” Julie observed softly, it was as familiar to him as playing the guitar the motions so practiced and smooth. “You seemed so practiced and quick with it all. How do you not panic?” She couldn’t help but ask, because the whole time she felt like her hands were frozen and she couldn’t move. 

Luke rubs over Alex back for a moment smiling slightly at Willie before looking at Julie. “Because if I panic he dies. He’s usually really good about everything, all the labels, everything. But he can’t prevent it a hundred percent of the time. Cross contamination happens and knowing what to do helps…” He finished packing up the others bag, zipping it closed and setting it near him. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t know.” Willie said softly. “We just-it was a little date idea we had...since we can eat now and he was so excited. I’d grabbed some food from some place that was supposed to be big around here.” 

“It’s okay Willie-Alex probably didn’t even think it’s-it hadn’t been an issue in so long.” Reggie said quickly. “Seriously we just had no way of knowing.”

“Is he going to be okay? Julie worried, Alex hadn’t really moved with the exception of curling onto his side and going limp against Willie once he could breath. 

“He’s exhausted, he always is it takes a lot out of him. He’ll be out of it for a day or two….he’ll be okay.” Luke reassured softly his voice gentle as he smiled at the way Willies hands were gentle in the Alex's hair. Giving him comfort the only way he knew how, but it worked, soothing the slight curl of his fingers and edges of tension from the other. 

“Well we can’t just leave him here on the floor come on.” She gestured up to the loft where they’d relocated the air mattress and Willie smiled at her, the two of them vanishing but they could see them upstairs moving around slowly and adjusting. “Reggie go grab some water bottles from the house.” She instructed him to be quick and smiled at Luke, rubbing his shoulder a bit before giving him a gentle shove. She’d take care of her boys, always.


End file.
